Mandatory AEDs on all flights could save 35–93 lives yearly, experts say.

In-flight cardiac arrests are often fatal, with survival rates as low as 6% without prompt defibrillation, but rising to 70% when an AED is used quickly. A new study urges global adoption of mandatory AEDs on all commercial flights, standardized crew CPR training, and telemedicine support, noting that only the U.S. currently requires AEDs, while many European planes lack them. With emergency landings taking over 20 minutes, timely access to defibrillators is critical, and experts project that universal AED use could save 35 to 93 lives annually worldwide.